Seventh International Jockey Challenge Set For This Weekend In Seoul

Riders from Australia, South Africa, Ireland, Turkey, Japan and Malaysia in town to take on home team

It’s that time of year again! The KRA mobilises its fleet of interpreters, punters look on in bemusement, and the local Jockey Union grits its teeth and stamps its feet at those foreigners taking our money! Yes, it’s the 7th International Jockey Invitational Challenge.

The International Jockey Challenge promoted on the Big Screen at Seoul last week

Six overseas riders will take on six Koreans for a $20,000 individual prize plus an overall team prize in four races over the weekend, culminating in Sunday night’s YTN Stakes. Home jockeys have dominated over the past two years, mainly die to luck of the draw for rides. This year’s draw takes place on Thursday and we’ll have a full run-down on respective riders’ chances over the next couple of days. In the meantime, here’s who’s in town:

International

As usual its a mixture of veterans and up and comers. The KRA has close links with all the national racing associations who are sending jockeys, however, for the first time in the event’s seven-year hstory, there will be no competitor from the USA. Here is a rundown of the international team (Name (age) – Country – Experience – Rides/wins/seconds/thirds):

Ahmet Celik (24) – Turkey – 7 years – 4661/510/522/503

Has recent experience in these kinds of challenges being part of the Turkish team that saw off the likes of Johnny Murtagh and Olivier Peslier in a Jockey Challenge at Veliefendi Racecourse in Istanbul last month.

A Champion apprentice in South Africa, Domeyer is nicknamed “The Candy Kid” after his Champion Jockey father “The Candyman” Andrew Fortune, Here is an interview with TAB Online from last year in which he cites Muzi Yeni, who competed in last year’s challenge, as one of his role-models.

Dwayne Dunn (38) – Australia – 22 years – 6656/876/2-3 1454

Now considered a veteran, Dunn has won many top class races including the Caulfield Cup and four consecutive victories in the Blue Diamond Stakes. Dunn has also ridden in Hong Kong.

Yoshihiro Furakawa (34) – Japan – 15 years – 5093/267/329/351

The experienced Furukawa’s biggest wins in his homeland have come in the 2009 Queen’s Stakes and the 1997 Hanshin Sansai Himba Stakes. Last year’s Japanese entrant, Syu Ishibashi won the final leg of the challenge, the YTN Cup, which again provides the Stakes finale on SUnday evening.

Ronald Woodworth (38) – Malaysia – 17 years – 5266/546/524/528

The only visitor to have ridden in Korea before, Woodworth came to Seoul in 2008 to ride in the Selangor Turf Club Trophy. During his career in Malaysia and Singapore, Woodworth has ridden 24 Stakes winners.

Korea

The home side sends out pretty much its “A-Team”. As usual, Park Tae Jong heads the list of usual suspects. Jo In Kwen, currently enjoying a breakthrough season in fourth place in the title race, joins the team for the first time.

Jockerys receive 20 points for a win, 15 for second and then it decreases in increments of three down to sixth place.

* UPDATE (Aug 11) – Race cards have been published for this weekend and, contrary to the original schedule released by the KRA, the international jockeys will only take part in one race on each day – race 9 on both Saturday and Sunday.